• Learn about the different genres of children’s books.
• Learn how to build a story arc and make every word count.
• How to write a pitch letter.
• How to find a good agent and publisher.
• The pros and cons of working with or without an agent.
• How to sell your book with or without an agent.
• The rewarding aspects of writing for children.
  

STUDENTS LOVE YING:

"Ying, your guidance has completely revolutionized how I put a story together so that I keep the agents and publishers in mind to keep life easier for them, and also for the reader in how I construct my paragraphs and chapters. I’ve even taken the hook that I wrote in your class and started a book with it! I laid out the chapters first as if I were going to present it to a publisher, and it has made the writing process a lot more productive than just going with the flow.” — Quinn W., Workshop Student

"I had the opportunity to meet, work and study with, and learn a great deal from Ying Compestine while participating in the Writing Workshop Hawai'i, where she was the lead advisor for the fiction program. She was a tremendous resource on all aspects of the professional writing experience, from the artistry of composition through to the nuances of engaging with the publishing and speaking industries that bring great books and ideas into the public marketplace.  Ying was a thoughtful editor, an engaging group leader, and an attentive mentor to the program's participants. Her extraordinary experiences in serving as a champion for her own diverse and distinctive work empowers her to provide exceptional insights and perspective into all of the elements necessary to convert creative ideas into commercially and critically successful books. I write both fiction and nonfiction, and I can state explicitly that Ying's perceptive counsel directly contributed to me being offered and accepting contracts for works in both genres this year.  On top of her many fine professional attributes, Ying is also simply delightful company, ready and able to engage audiences large or small in just the ways that they need to be engaged, deftly encouraging growth and engagement in a powerfully natural fashion. I would be most pleased to have the opportunity to participate in another writing program with Ying, and commend her to readers here as an exceptional speaker and mentor, one who will make a difference for you, should you make the wise choice to engage with her. I am certainly glad that I did." -J. Eric Smith

"Ying is amazing, and I recommend any course she teaches. She is the most knowledgeable and will-researched (as in: knows the business of writing) author I have ever met. Plus, she creates beautiful books and is a genuinely kind human being."-Ellen

“You gave me enough writing technique and marketing information to feel like I can get started with confidence. Thank you, Ying!” — JR, Workshop Student

“Ying, thank you for being so diligent, so focused and so professional in your approach to the class. I found the whole experience exceeded my most optimistic expectations.” — Emily E., Workshop Student

“I found your confidence and ambition infectious, Ying. [You] encouraged me to really go after the big agents and publishers and to believe in my product. For that, I can’t thank you enough.” — Amy C., Workshop Student

• Instructor: Ying Chang Compestine
  
• Class Starts Sunday, June 11th, 2023
  
• Class will meet via Zoom on Sundays, 12PM PST - 2PM PST.

Award-winning Ying Chang Compestine is the multi-talented author of 25 books, including novels, picture books, and cookbooks. Named as one of the "50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading" by the Author's Show, her books have sold worldwide in multiple languages. Her picture books have won numerous awards and are read globally. Her middle-grade novel, Revolution Is Not A Dinner Party, has won 33 awards and is required reading in many schools. Her young adult novel, A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, is currently being adapted into a TV series. Ying's new novel, Morning Sun in Wuhan, received great recognition and reviews and has earned prestigious awards like the Gold Standard Selection by the Junior Library Guild and was named The Best Book of the Year by The New York Public Library. Her new picture book Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon, has been named one of the best books of 2022 by Common Sense Media. Ying is frequently invited to teach writing workshops and speak about her work throughout the world.